


Forgiveness

by Amyused



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Shippy if you Squint, very little tennis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-07 23:22:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1917945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amyused/pseuds/Amyused
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kenya feels responsible for Shitenhouji's loss against Seigaku, despite having stuck to the benches. At the very least, he owes a certain someone an apology.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgiveness

 

Kenya was personally offended.  In absolutely no way, shape, or form could the thing that transpired on the court that afternoon be called a doubles match.  In that moment, the only thing that kept the speed star from waltzing up to Shiraishi and throwing a fine fit was that he'd  _let_ the change in line-up happen in the first place!  Hell, he'd  _offered_ to step down from his doubles one spot at the tiniest urging from his captain.

 

It wasn't that Kenya was a push-over.  Far from it!  But, he did have his insecurities, and Shiraishi had poked at each of them in perfect sequence until Kenya caved.  Kenya knew that Chitose was a better tennis player than him.  He knew that pitting the guy against Tezuka could "open new doors" and induce tennis nirvana, or whatever the hell that dealie was.  Most of all, he knew that Shiraishi was  _counting_ on him to step aside graciously and let this whole thing happen.  Kenya hated to let people down.

 

But, if Kenya had known what a bastardization of doubles Shitenhouji's last match in the national tournament was going to become thanks to that small change in line-up, he might have refused.  He wanted to think that he would have refused, at least.  Watching the game in question put Kenya in physical pain, not even counting the crazy psychic sparkles that made his eyes water.  Sure, watching the idiot pair play a match sometimes put him in stitches from laughing and watching Gin or Kin-chan dominate the courts gave him sympathy pains for their opponents, but watching Chitose and Tezuka face each other made Kenya's very soul ache.

 

 Somehow, despite all his best intentions, by offering away his spot on the green and relinquishing responsibility for the match, it felt as though he was the weakling that lost them the match.  It was like he, personally, had fumbled their chance to be champions.  Somehow, he just knew that if he'd stood up against his captain and fought the good fight from across the net, he and Zaizen could have shown the whole stadium the  _right_ way to play doubles, and they would have won, too.  As much as Kenya wasn't the one out there dropping points, he'd already dropped the game, and wasn't that so much worse?

 

And for that, he owed someone an apology. He wasn't the only person who didn't get a chance to play doubles that day. Zaizen, too.

Too bad that by the time the match was called in Seigaku's favor and the players returned to their respective benches, Kenya couldn't even look him in the eye. He was afraid of the accusation he'd find there.

 

\----

 

On Kenya's way up to the net to shake hands with Seigaku, he angrily elbowed Shiraishi and shot him a glare that said the captain could go screw himself sideways on a jackhammer for belittling Kenya's skill and ability to contribute to their now unattainable victory.  There was no telling if the entire point got across, but the disdain was there at least. It probably wouldn't matter by the next morning, anyways.  Kenya always was better at harboring guilt than holding a grudge.  He had to make the most of his irritation before full-fledged regret settled in its place.

 

Already, he felt anxiousness churn in the pit of his stomach.  He did his best to tamp down on his disappointment and be a gracious loser in the face of this round's victors, but it left him feeling emotionally constipated in a way he had to pray didn't show on his face.  And to think, the shame of facing his teammates was sure to be much worse.  
  
Kenya made it back to the stands, before finally bursting. The team was too quiet, too solemn as they packed away their rackets, towels, water bottles, and costume pieces. Even Kin-chan was mysteriously silent, though his eyes were crossed with confusion as he followed everyone's example and put away everything except for his worn, wooden racket.  
  
It was just so wrong! He couldn't stand the weight of the air, laden with things left unsaid. It was too much pressure for Kenya to bear!  
  
"I'm so sorry!" Kenya screamed to his teammates, with his shoulders tight and his eyes scrunched closed. His heart pounded in his ears, almost as loud as the sound of the tension in the air snapping.  
  
"Oh, Kenya-san," said a voice he didn't quite recognize. When he lifted his eyes, he saw that it was actually Koharu addressing him, in a tone so... normal and so sympathetic that he hadn't recognized its source. "You have nothing to apologize for. We should be the ones to say we're sorry." Beyond Koharu's shoulder, at a curiously large distance, Yuuji, his eyes red and puffy, and Gin, with his arm in a sling, nodded miserably.  
  
Even Shiraishi looked less than perfect. He seemed tired and had a crack in his lip that wasn't there before. "Kenya, it's not your fault," he said forcefully, as though acutely aware of Kenya's guilty conscious, and using that authority to relieve him of shame. One by one, he searched his teammates' eyes, and he nodded. In that moment, he forgave them. All of them. He just wasn't quite sure if he could forgive himself yet.  
  
Unfortunately, when his attention finally turned to Zaizen, the boy meant to be his doubles' partner, he still couldn't catch his gaze. The younger boy, whether out of hurt or spite, refused to meet his eyes, busying himself with his cell phone. Kenya stared and stared until everyone else had turned back to their business, and still he stared. No matter what Koharu and Shiraishi said, if there was one person who deserved Kenya's apology, it was Zaizen.  
  
For a brief flicker, Zaizen's eyes left the screen of his phone and locked with his, and just as quickly, Kenya looked away. From the corner of his vision, he thought he saw Zaizen huff and roll his eyes, but he still lacked the courage to do anything about it. Besides, there was some sort of commotion building on the courts.  
  
\----  
  
Watching Kin-chan play against Seigaku's rookie put a lot of things in perspective: skill, power, physics in general, but most importantly, purpose. Kenya was both terrified and in awe of the single-point match that had taken place on that open court, but he couldn't deny how much fun it looked. And wasn't that the point? Whether for victory or for sport, tennis was something that Kenya enjoyed, and having given up on a chance to play against a talented opponent was making less and less sense to him.  
  
This wasn't just about losing the match anymore; it was about being robbed of his fun. Lucky for him, although victory was unattainable, it wasn't too late to make the most out of the day.  
  
"Zaizen!" Kenya called out, as the younger boy extricated himself from the crowd of leftover observers, either talking excitedly or moving in to inspect the smoking halves of what was once a tennis ball. He continued to walk, seeming to debate whether it was worth acknowledging his would-have-been doubles partner, but whether out of apathy or interest, he paused at the top of the stairs and allowed Kenya to jog up to him. His expression gave away nothing, but his posture betrayed his underlying annoyance. He leaned against the railing with his arms crossed, his cellphone tucked into his palm.  
  
Even as Kenya drew near, Zaizen said absolutely nothing, so Kenya took the initiative, steeling himself for some negativity. "I'm sorry," he blurted, but Zaizen maintained his deadpan stare.  
  
"I know Shiraishi said it wasn't my fault, and while that might be true for the outcome, I owe it to you to be sorry." Again, Zaizen gave absolutely no reaction. Kenya was starting to grow unnerved. The younger boy was staring right at him, but beyond that, there was no indication that he was even listening to the words Kenya was speaking. He began to wring his fingers into the edge of his tennis polo.  
  
"I should have asked you before giving up my spot," Kenya fearfully acknowledged.  
  
"...Yes," Zaizen agreed after a pause.  
  
It wasn't much, and it wasn't particularly forgiving, but at least it least Kenya had the assurance that he wasn't just talking to himself.  
  
"I should have realized that it would effect us both," he continued.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And I-... I should have stood up to Shiraishi."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Because he is imperfect. And a dick."  
  
"Irrelevant... but also true." It seemed that Zaizen didn't find their captain completely blameless either.  
  
"Right... So, will you forgive me?"  
  
Zaizen sighed and rolled his eyes, doing a stellar job of looking incredibly put out. Kenya held his breath, waiting for an answer as the seconds dragged out like minutes. He felt like surely, his face must have been turning blue! Until finally, Zaizen shrugged, "It's not worth holding a grudge."  
  
Without even thinking, Kenya leaped onto the younger boy, wrapping his arms around Zaizen's shoulders and bouncing violently. "Thank you thank you thank you! I don't know what I'd have done if you held it against me!" he babbled in a flood of pure relief.  
  
Zaizen, on the other hand, made a noise like he was about to be sick. "Don't get me wrong, Senpai. This doesn't mean I'm happy with you," he warned.  
  
"No, no. Of course not," Kenya acknowledged. As an afterthought, he let go and backed up half a step, though he couldn't stop his fingers from dragging down the length of Zaizen's arm and and tugging at the end of his sleeve. His smile betrayed how happy he was for the begrudging forgiveness. "But can I make it up to you somehow?" He paused a little, letting the idea sink in.  
  
"It's not exactly something you have to make up to me, Senpai. It was  _your_ last chance at winning Nationals, not mine," Zaizen shot back like a cocky brat.  
  
"Hey, now!" Kenya warned, but without a hint of threat in his voice. "In the little baby junior high division maybe, but you know we're gonna lay waste to the high school nationals!" he insisted. "Keep up the good work, and maybe I'll take you along for the ride."  
  
Kenya grinned good-naturedly while Zaizen rolled his eyes. "Provided you don't flake out," he ribbed, testing him under the guise of playfulness.  
  
"Never again," Kenya promised. "Come on. I'll call up my cousin and invite him and his doubles partner to play a set."  
  
Zaizen dropped his arms from where they were crossed and pocketed his phone with an air of simple satisfaction. "I'd rather it were Tezuka, but beating your cousin doesn't sound bad either."  
  
"Yeah, well. Tezuka has to save himself for the finals, and I don't have his number, so we have to make do," Kenya stated, knowing that Zaizen was just trying to give him a hard time and playing into his hand regardless. He could tell that while he and his doubles partner were back on good terms, he wasn't going to hear the end of this blunder for quite some time.  
  
And that was okay.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written by the Rachel half of Amyused. Betaed by the Paula half.


End file.
